Radio Bilinge co-founder is keynote speaker

at this years commencement

Miranda Squires, Staff Reporter
MSQUIRES@CSUMB.EDU

Hugo Morales is a catalyst for finding ways

to address poverty and give marginalized
populations broadcasting resources they
can benefit from. On May 16, Morales will
be the keynote speaker at California State
University Monterey Bay (CSUMB)s 19th
annual commencement.
With minimal access to microphones and
public airwaves before the 70s, many Latinos did not have the privilege of discussing
global or local issues via widespread media
outlets.
However, Morales co-founded Radio
Bilinge in 1976 and the station, started by
a group of advocates, empowers minority
communities and counters the inequalities of public
broadcasting in
the San Joaquin
Valley.
This
movement is referred to as La
Voz que Rompo
el Silencio, or
The Voice that
Broke the Silence.
Morales was
awarded the Edward R. Murrow
Award, public
broadcastings
highest honor,
in 1999. Corporation of Public Broadcasting (CPB)s
President and CEO, Robert T. Coonrod,
said Hugo challenges us all to capitalize on
the potential of public radio and new media
opportunities to advance our historic public service mission, a mission that includes
service to an increasingly diverse population.
As a native Mixtec of Oaxaca, Mexico,
it is a tradition in Morales village to speak
publicly. I learned to speak at family gatherings, so I have always really enjoyed it,
he says.
He explains how talking about something meaningful to oneself and the audience is essential in having confidence when
speaking publicly.
As a nine year old boy, Morales came to
the United States to meet his father who
was a farmworker in Sonoma County. He
grew up as a laborer, and later pursued
higher education.
He later received a full scholarship to
Harvard College where he completed his
Bachelors degree in Liberal Arts in 1972
and his law degree in 1975.
I saw my studies in college and law
school as a way to help me be an advocate
for the poor, an interpreter of the reality of

the poor and look for ways to address poverty, said Morales.
Morales chose to work as a laborer every
summer until his graduation from Harvard
Law School in 1975. I thought it was important to be with my family, friends and
community in order to get a sense of the reality of poverty and the spirit of the people.
He says the people who work in the fields
are kind, smart, talented, and wonderful
people; they simply lack the options and
opportunities that others may have.
In 1964, Morales interest in radio was
ignited by his older brother Rosas establishment of the first Spanish radio show in
Santa Rosa at a country western station,
KVRE am, north of San Francisco called
Amigos Latinos.
Morales older brother, Candido Morales
Rosas, got involved with
radio
after
becoming a
cabinet maker and severely injuring his hand
in a plane accident where
he was no
longer able to
use his hand
the way he
used to.
Since being a radio
programmer
was something Rosas always aspired to do,
he decided to start a Spanish show combining traditional Mexican music with community organizing over the radio.
Morales used to help out during his
brothers show and realized how radio is a
very important tool for communities with
considerably low literacy rates in need of a
low cost medium that members of the community could be a part of.
Morales says we who are fortunate
enough to have a bachelors and even graduate degrees, should consider lending a
hand to others in need.
His speech at commencement this year
will convey the importance of higher education, what a privilege it is to pursue it, the
dedication and hard work it takes, and how
public education is one of greatest things
about our country.
Morales states I never thought of myself
as being a speaker at a college graduation;
it is a great honor.
If you are unable to attend the ceremony which takes place on May 16 at Freeman
Statium, it will be broadcast through the
campus television network on channels
72 and 72.1 and via the Internet at media.
csumb.edu under the live streams button.

THOSE OF US WHO
CAN, SHOULD BE
HELPING OTHERS
HUGO MORALES

www.otterrealm.com

A VOICE
FOR
CHANGE

Hugo Morales

Photo provided by: Hugo Morales

7 | Otter Realm | April 16, 2015